March 16, 2009 issue
Saffola, a leading brand of commodity products in India, knows that it must pay attention to online customer engagement to ensure that visitors stick around for more than just a few minutes—as they do at a supermarket shelf.
The Saffola brand, owned by Marico Industries, retails a portfolio of products like salt and flour, but the brand name is popularly associated with its core product—cooking oil. In the cooking oil segment, the brand has garnered tremendous trust and is practically a generic name among homemakers.
The brand has been very successful in promoting health as a central theme throughout its messaging—especially on its website, where a diverse selection of products is featured.
On the brand’s homepage, the site’s color scheme is reminiscent of the brand’s bright yellow packaging that stands out in grocery stores. The center of the homepage is dedicated to promoting the brand’s latest offering in the market—a salty baked snack called Saffola Zest.
The imagery of a happy Indian family grabbing a bowl of snacks conveys that the product is a healthy snack meant for everyone. Given the health controversies revolving around the oil and salt content of potato crisps, the launch of this “healthy” option—with its call to “Say No To Fried Snacks. Say Yes To Baked Goodness.”—is well timed, and should garner sales among health-conscious consumers.
Details on the product are displayed in a simple manner—flavor, price and some bullet points on its healthy aspects. There are no overwrought or glitzy descriptions—perhaps to compel visitors to stay curious and take the extra effort to learn about the product.
The rest of the homepage follows a clean layout and is focused on other relevant details about Saffola’s brand—its products and recipes and its commitment to health and wellness. Clicking on the Products section leads to a page that explains how Saffola flour is beneficial for diabetics. Sadly, other products are somewhat hidden—for no apparent reason—on the left menu bar of the page.
In terms of layout, the brand could definitely take a few pointers from Wesson—a brand of vegetable oil produced by ConAgra foods. Rather than scattered content, the Wesson site has a well-structured products page where color and layout blend beautifully together to create a page that is visually appealing.
Sticking to its objective, the site has all the necessary tools to effectively characterize Saffola as a “health-conscious” brand. The Eating Right section educates the reader about nutrition myths, beverages, health benefits from particular plants and other pertinent health topics. Also, accompanying images break any content monotony and make the page more reader friendly.
The Healthy Heart link on the homepage transports the web user to a section that outlines the initiatives the brand has taken in the community. The company has organized several outreach programs, and details on such events are available online. Corporate social responsibility is an important facet of any brand today, and Saffola does an admirable job describing these initiatives on its site. A more prominent header, however, would ensure that visitors don’t miss this section while browsing.
Given that Saffola is in the food business, the Recipes section is important. Saffola keeps its target audience (housewives) happy with an extensive roster of recipes but could exhibit more business savvy by weaving Saffola products into the recipes—similar to what Bertolli has done. Another value addition to the site could be a section on “quotes from the experts,” where leading Indian doctors can give their opinion on the benefits of Saffola products.
From health tips to the Dial-a-Dietician feature, the site successfully conveys the message that Saffola is a health-conscious brand that cares about its consumers. Yet the website could expand its online presence by providing information detailing its parent company's plans to leverage Saffola’s brand equity.
The Saffola website is a wise place to execute this endeavor.
Preeti Khicha currently lives in Mumbai, India. She graduated from the University of Bath, UK, with a master's degree in management, specializing in marketing. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics and psychology from the University of Virginia, USA.
The Saffola brand, owned by Marico Industries, retails a portfolio of products like salt and flour, but the brand name is popularly associated with its core product—cooking oil. In the cooking oil segment, the brand has garnered tremendous trust and is practically a generic name among homemakers.
The brand has been very successful in promoting health as a central theme throughout its messaging—especially on its website, where a diverse selection of products is featured.
On the brand’s homepage, the site’s color scheme is reminiscent of the brand’s bright yellow packaging that stands out in grocery stores. The center of the homepage is dedicated to promoting the brand’s latest offering in the market—a salty baked snack called Saffola Zest.
The imagery of a happy Indian family grabbing a bowl of snacks conveys that the product is a healthy snack meant for everyone. Given the health controversies revolving around the oil and salt content of potato crisps, the launch of this “healthy” option—with its call to “Say No To Fried Snacks. Say Yes To Baked Goodness.”—is well timed, and should garner sales among health-conscious consumers.
Details on the product are displayed in a simple manner—flavor, price and some bullet points on its healthy aspects. There are no overwrought or glitzy descriptions—perhaps to compel visitors to stay curious and take the extra effort to learn about the product.
The rest of the homepage follows a clean layout and is focused on other relevant details about Saffola’s brand—its products and recipes and its commitment to health and wellness. Clicking on the Products section leads to a page that explains how Saffola flour is beneficial for diabetics. Sadly, other products are somewhat hidden—for no apparent reason—on the left menu bar of the page.
In terms of layout, the brand could definitely take a few pointers from Wesson—a brand of vegetable oil produced by ConAgra foods. Rather than scattered content, the Wesson site has a well-structured products page where color and layout blend beautifully together to create a page that is visually appealing.
Sticking to its objective, the site has all the necessary tools to effectively characterize Saffola as a “health-conscious” brand. The Eating Right section educates the reader about nutrition myths, beverages, health benefits from particular plants and other pertinent health topics. Also, accompanying images break any content monotony and make the page more reader friendly.
The Healthy Heart link on the homepage transports the web user to a section that outlines the initiatives the brand has taken in the community. The company has organized several outreach programs, and details on such events are available online. Corporate social responsibility is an important facet of any brand today, and Saffola does an admirable job describing these initiatives on its site. A more prominent header, however, would ensure that visitors don’t miss this section while browsing.
Given that Saffola is in the food business, the Recipes section is important. Saffola keeps its target audience (housewives) happy with an extensive roster of recipes but could exhibit more business savvy by weaving Saffola products into the recipes—similar to what Bertolli has done. Another value addition to the site could be a section on “quotes from the experts,” where leading Indian doctors can give their opinion on the benefits of Saffola products.
From health tips to the Dial-a-Dietician feature, the site successfully conveys the message that Saffola is a health-conscious brand that cares about its consumers. Yet the website could expand its online presence by providing information detailing its parent company's plans to leverage Saffola’s brand equity.
The Saffola website is a wise place to execute this endeavor.
Preeti Khicha currently lives in Mumbai, India. She graduated from the University of Bath, UK, with a master's degree in management, specializing in marketing. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics and psychology from the University of Virginia, USA.
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